SALT LAKE CITY, June 30, 2021 — Nav, the simple and intelligent financing platform for small businesses, today announced JW Equine Services as the most recent $10,000 grand prize winner of its quarterly Small Business Grant. JW Equine Services is a full-service equine training facility that is owned and operated by Jonna Wisher Ibañez. The equine facility plans to use the grant money to help build a covered riding arena that will allow for Wisher Ibañez to train and coach in all types of weather conditions year-round.
“When people think of small businesses, most usually picture a local restaurant in their neighborhood or a small storefront on a corner, but small businesses can truly be anything and it’s inspiring to see the passion every small business owner has. Jonna is a true testament of this with the work she does through JW Equine Services,” said Greg Ott, Nav CEO. “She works hard every day to grow a thriving business built from her passion. The Nav grant was created to help small businesses grow, and we are thrilled to be able to support JW Equine Services on this next endeavor.”
In 2010, Wisher Ibañez founded JW Equine Services to fulfill her love and passion for horses. At JW Equine Services, Wisher Ibañez buys, raises, trains and cares for her clients’ horses as well as providing lessons and competition training.
“With the funds from Nav, I will be able to make money more consistently, and eventually I will be able to make enough to buy my own facility which would be a dream come true,” said Jonna Wisher Ibañez, owner of JW Equine Services. “I get paid to do what I love every single day, and now I get paid to share my love and passion with my daughter too — what more could I ask for.”
Nav also awarded a runner-up prize of $5,000 to Sergeant Built, a full-service woodworking, cabinetry and carpentry firm located in Seattle, Washington. Joel McCoy, Owner of Sergeant Built, founded the company in March 2020 to fulfill his dream of becoming a successful businessman. He plans to utilize the funds to buy an enclosed trailer for his deliveries and installations.
“Seattle is a rainy city, so having a mobile and dry storage space for projects and tools will be a significant help for my business,” said Joel McCoy, Owner of Sergeant Built LLC. “Renting box trucks or trailers takes time away and adds pressure to my timelines, so by owning my own trailer, I will be able to store and deliver projects while also increasing my marketing and branding by wrapping the trailer with my business logo and details.”
In addition to Sergeant Built as runner-up, Nav also named Tiny Bodega, an online grocery store that sells healthy pantry staples, groceries, and indie food brands created by BIPOC founders and makers, as a bonus winner this quarter. Tiny Bodega was awarded $1,000 to the company to help them continue to support smaller BIPOC brands in reaching more people safely and efficiently.
Nav created the Nav Small Business Grant in 2018 to raise awareness about the obstacles small business owners and entrepreneurs experience when building and maintaining their businesses. As of June 2021, Nav has awarded $155,500 to small businesses across the country. In the last round of grant winners, Nav provided a $10,000 grand prize to Upcycle Hawaii LLC, a brand and manufacturer focused on creating quality products with reclaimed and repurposed materials.
The next round of Nav’s Small Business Grants are open now and will close on August 6, 2021. Learn more about the grant and how to apply here.